Space Opera Fans discussion

I particularly enjoy stories that deal with the struggle to establish communications with a new species. Even if there is some universal translator hand waving, there are always misunderstandings due to differences in cultures and expectations.

Little Fuzzy by H. Beam Piper is a classic. (view spoiler)[The fuzzies speech is in the ultrasonic range. (hide spoiler)]

Hellspark by Janet Kagan has (view spoiler)[natives that speak by moving feathers on their faces. (hide spoiler)]

The Long Voyage of the Little Fleet by Mackey Chandler finds multiple first contacts with completely different approaches needed for communication. One species didn’t even have a concept of trading.

What’s one of your favorite first contact stories?

James White does a great job with first encounters in his Sector General series and there are some good examples of his skill in The Aliens Among Us.

I recall enjoying Code of the Lifemaker which features first contact with a machine civilization descended from explorer/colonization robots.

Alan Dean Foster’s Nor Crystal Tears is a good one, too, featuring humans meeting an insectoid race. Seeing how aliens view us gives insight into ourselves.

Teresa wrote: "The Long Voyage of the Little Fleet by Mackey Chandler finds multiple first contacts with completely different approaches needed for communication. One species didn’t even have a concept of trading."

These look interesting. That book in particular sounds a lot like The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet. Accurate?

Love the Hospital Station series!!

My dad's favorites were The Mote in God's Eye and Jack McDevitt's series with Priscilla Hutchins.

I really like Julie Czerneda's Migration.

I think I’ve read all the Hospital Station stories. I don’t reread them very often because I tend to recall the ending of each which spoils it, and because since they are mostly short stories it’s easy to put down after finishing one.

Mote is fantastic, yes!

Trike: Long Voyage of the Little Fleet has some similarities to Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, but the focus is more on going deep to explore systems never visited by their several races. Some of the aliens they meet are friendly, the Biters are quite hostile, and one set of aliens is extremely confusing. This book is the sequel to Family Law but can probably be read without the first one.

Oh and I read Nor Crystal Tears a long time back. Likely time for a reread. The Pip and Flinx books I used to enjoy very much but they don’t hold my attention any more.

Yeah, I think the Pip & Flinx books are decidedly YA before they invented that category. Well written stories, certainly, but intended for a younger audience.

I have to say, though, after all these decades I still love the Michael Whelan cover of For Love of Mother-Not. So much promise of a fun adventure captured in that painting.

Dang it. Doesn’t look like Nor Crystal Tears is available as ebook. Sigh..... (legally I mean)

My favorite Chanur series is all about first contact, communication, and culture. But I've probably mentioned it too many times.

Trike - Whelan is the best!

I really liked the way that Chanur’s system of learning how to talk to a new species worked.

Laz wrote: "My favorite Chanur series is all about first contact, communication, and culture. But I've probably mentioned it too many times.

Trike - Whelan is the best!"

Oh,yes, loved that book!!

This article mentions five books on this exact topic, and it includes Chanur!
https://www.tor.com/2018/05/09/5-book...